Hydrotreating/hydroprocessing chemical reactor vessels, including catalytic reactors, are used extensively in many industries, including the petrochemical industry. Chemical reactor vessels are very large and heavy, and, as a result, are often built in-place with rolled or forged steel. A typical catalytic reactor is generally cylindrical and can be from about 10 to about 150 feet tall and 1-25 feet wide with walls having a thickness that can vary from about 2 inches to about 16 inches. A fluid feed is flowed into the upper end of the reactor vessel and through a series of trays, allowing catalyzed chemical processes to take place. During typical operation, the contents of a chemical reactor are subjected to high temperatures and pressures. During a typical catalytic reaction operation, the reactor vessel chamber might reach temperatures that can vary from 100 F to around 800 degrees F. and have an internal pressure of around 2500 psi and can vary between 90 psi to around 3000 psi. Trays supported within the reactor chamber can expand or contract thermally, shifts or otherwise move, resulting in damage to reactor components. The term “tray,” as used herein, generally refers to a platform having a round outer perimeter which is sized to fit within a reactor chamber and which carries a bed of catalyst, quenching matter, screens or other materials used in the catalytic process.
In addition, the inventor has determined that there are instances wherein it is desirable to alter the internal configuration of the reactor chamber in order to accommodate changes in the chemical feed provided to the reactor or processes that are to be carried out within the reactor vessel.